from staff
Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton proclaimed May 1 as Law Day in Jacksonville. The proclamation highlights the importance of the Rule of Law and the observance of the 50th annual national Law Day. The ceremony took place March 25, Peyton signed the proclamation with Caroline Emery, president of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and members of the Law Week Committee in attendance.
Throughout Law Week, which is being chaired by Tatiana Salvador of Holland & Knight and actually encompasses several week, there are several events and information sessions scheduled, all of which are designed to either educate the public or further educate the legal community. The following is a comprehensive list of those activities:
Law for the Layperson /Naturalization Clinics
The JBA, The American Immigration Lawyers Association and Florida Coastal School of Law will co-sponsor two free informative seminars on “How to become a U.S. Citizen.” These seminars are May 29 from 6-8 p.m. and May 31 from noon-2 p.m. at Florida Coastal. They will be followed by a free naturalization clinic where attendees can receive answers to simple questions relating to naturalization.
Additionally, the JBA is working with the Duval County Public Library, in conjunction with the Family Law Inns of Court, the Hispanic Bar Association of Northeast Florida and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid to provide free informative presentations to the public on issues such as bankruptcy, foreclosures and family law (presented in both English and Spanish). These presentations are at the Main Library. The foreclosures session is Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Conference Room G-4 while the Family Law session is April 13 at 2 p.m. at San Jose Catholic Church Community Center.
High School Mock Trial Competition
The Jacksonville Bar Association and Florida Coastal are hosting the Law Day High School Mock Trial Competition. This year’s mock trial fact pattern is based upon a criminal case. Several Duval County high schools will be competing on April 19 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Duval County Courthouse. The students have been preparing for the mock trial by attending workshops at Florida Coastal School. Those workshops were March 5, 8 and 29. Members of the bench and bar have volunteered to help judge this year’s competition.
Law Day Presentations to Public Schools in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties
The Jacksonville Bar Associate joined with the Florida Supreme Court Justice Teaching Volunteers in the Fourth Judicial Circuit to provide presentations to over 600 students in numerous high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in all three counties of this Circuit. Numerous judges and lawyers volunteered to give presentations to students in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties. The presentations will focus on the Rule of Law (this year’s theme for Law Day) and will include topics from the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, criminal law cases and current events in the news. Each presentation will include a question and answer session with the students asking questions and the judges and lawyers providing entertaining and informative answers on everything from “Do you like being a judge?” to “What type of law do you practice?” The list of scheduled presentations and the presenters (to date) are as follows:
• Orange Park Junior High — Janet Anderson will speak to a group of 7th and 8th graders. Date and time unknown.
• Lakeshore Middle — Diana Farhat will speak. Date and time unknown at this time.
• Pine Forest Elementary — Erica Shaffor and Carolyn Jones will speak in a joint presentation. Date and time unknown.
• Dupont Middle — Circuit Court Judge Karen Cole will speak on April 21. Time unknown.
• Englewood High — Circuit Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt will speak. Date and time unknown.
• Arlington Middle — County Judge Angela Cox will speak. Date and time unknown.
• Mandarin High — Federal Judge Schlesinger will speak April 14 and 15 at 7:15 a.m.
• JEB Stuart Middle — County Judge Gary Flower will speak Friday from 9 a.m.-noon.
• Landmark Middle — County Judge Ron Higbee will speak April 14 at 9:15 am.
• Fletcher High — County Judge Roberto Arias and Circuit Judge Greg McCaulie will give a joint presentation. Date and time unknown.
• John E. Ford Middle-Elementary — County Judge Brent Shore will speak April 17 at 1:25 p.m.
• Ribault High — County Judge Pauline Drayton and Crystal Broughan will speak Tuesday at 1 p.m.
• Callahan Middle Career Fair — Rusty Mead will present on April 17.
Art and book supply drive for Duval County elementary schools
Once again, members of the JBA have been asked to donate books and/or art supplies for donation to the Duval County public elementary schools. The collection drive runs from through April 16. Collection boxes have been delivered to various law firms around town, as well as the State Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, General Counsel’s Office and City Hall. If you are interested in having a collection box at your firm, please contact Christa Figgins at 224-1545.
“Lawsuits” professional clothing drive
In addition to assisting the students in our community with books and supplies, members of the JBA have been asked to donate gently used professional clothing (men’s pants, jackets, suits, shirts and ties and women’s suits and dresses) for donation to the Sulzbacher Center. Collection of these items will take place through April 16. Collection boxes have been delivered to various law firms around town, as well as the State Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, General Counsel’s Office and City Hall. If you are interested in having a collection box at your firm, please contact Christa Figgins at 224-1545.
Naturalization Ceremony
This moving and emotional ceremony, wherein 100 or so individuals will take the oath to become American citizens, will take place at the Federal Courthouse before the Honorable Harvey E. Schlesinger April 17 at 10:30 a.m. The Colonial Dames of America (direct descendants of officers serving in the Colonial days) will present a flag to the oldest and youngest new American citizens. The keynote speaker is Law Day committee member Fraz Ahmed who was born in Pakistan and raised in the United States, where his parents became naturalized American citizens.
Law Day cable programming television show
All of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Law Day activities will be highlighted throughout the month of April on the local cable programming television show “Legal Issues in Jacksonville.” In partnership with the General Counsel’s Office and Comcast, the show was produced and will be aired in order to inform the public about the many events in celebration of this year’s law week theme — the Rule of Law. The half-hour television program can be regularly viewed on Cable Ch. 29 every Friday at 9 p.m.
Law Day Luncheon
The Law Day celebrations culminate with the annual Law Day Luncheon, sponsored by the JBA. On April 21, the JBA will present as keynote speaker the Honorable Williams S. Sessions, an extremely distinguished jurist and lawyer with national recognition, known for his outstanding public service and monumental contributions for equality under the “rule of law.” In addition, the Lawyer of the Year Award and the Liberty Bell Award (bestowed upon a non-lawyer who has fostered a greater understanding and appreciation of the “rule of law”) will be presented.